It’ll be a great show of course (this was) —there is no ill will on my part. But it made me think of how many bucket list bands are getting checked off this summer in Portland for the the 17-30 year old spread. Spoon? Check. Slayer? Check. Sufjan Stevens? Check. That band your little brother just discovered? Check.

Then it quickly led me think of a game I will often play with friends of “Entirely Possible Portland Dream Shows” which will serve as a bucket list suggestion for the always amazing bookers of Portland.

Looking at you, Lauren, or unknown millionaires — and to give it that HillyTown local touch, the opening act for this scenario will be a Maine-centric band.

– Vampire Weekend with Foam Castles playing Molly’s Jungle in it’s entirety on the Maine State Peir, late July, starting time around 3 p.m.:Any Vampire Weekend show will be memorable and they could easily sell-out any venue in the entire state. So let’s have fun with it and make it more or less a public affair for one of the ideal bands of the late summer — and can you imagine “Hannah Hunt” over the Portland bay at sunset?

– Arcade Fire with The Mallett Brothers Band at the Portland Eastern Promenade (like this), early October, starting time around 4 p.m.: Before you want to give me any flack, it’s an absolute guarantee that The Mallett Brothers Band are part of an elite musical group in Maine that is even capable of playing to that large of a crowd (The Rustic Overtones — to name another) without failing miserably or not wanting any part of it.

Of course, the trend here is outside shows — but there is something inherent about both Arcade Fire and early October with change. Just think of all the bearded cool dads and their the cute babies in Fair Isle Sweaters drinking hot apple cider while this is going on.

But something has me also leading me to believe that Paul Westerberg, Tommy Stinson and company would be more than willing to play along with a fun night out as the Portland fuzz trio Fur. And we can’t think of a better bearer of the wretched crawl of eternal youth in Portland as Fur — plus they’re admitted fans of the main act.

The venue? The smaller, the sweatier, the better. I might even suggest Poland Street if it wouldn’t be such a massive hazard to health and sanity. But SPACE is wonderful, and the members of Fur will feel right at home at the nonprofit performing art space.

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